Garden State Gridiron - Mock Draft #2

Garden State Gridiron – Mock Draft #2

The 2021 NFL Draft is just three short weeks away! We’ve seen a ton of pro days and social media hype videos for the top prospects. News and rumors are flying in every direction and it can be difficult to decipher fact from fiction. Today’s mock draft will be an advisory draft, meaning that it would be my recommendation if in the shoes of each team’s draft decision-maker. Check it out:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars – QB Trevor Lawrence – Chalk.
2. New York Jets – QB Zach Wilson – A safe pick. Appears to be a good fit for the Shanahan/LaFleur offense.
3. San Francisco 49ers – QB Justin Fields – May have the highest ceiling of any quarterback in this draft. He has a cannon arm and tremendous athleticism. He could truly unlock this offense.
4. Detroit Lions (via ATL) – QB Trey Lance – Could develop behind Jared Goff, who the Lions can move on from after 2022 if they do not trade him sooner. Detroit has a ton of holes to fill and significant draft capital following the Matthew Stafford trade.
5. Cincinnati Bengals – OT Penei Sewel – Cincinnati had one of the worst offensive lines in football last season, which limited the production of both Joe Borrow and Joe Mixon. Sewel could make an instant impact.
6. Miami Dolphins – WR Ja’Marr Chase – Partnering Chase with DeVante Parker and Will Fuller gives them one of the most dangerous wide receiver trios in the league (when healthy). Pair that with their talented defense, they could challenge for the AFC East title.
7. Dallas Cowboys (via DET thru ATL) – TE Kyle Pitts – Jerry Jones makes his offense even scarier. Add Pitts to Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper, and Ezekiel Elliott and someone is going to be open on every play.
8. Carolina Panthers – OT Rashawn Slater – Sam Darnold will be the starting quarterback in 2021 and Joe Brady will attempt to revive his career. Give him some extra protection to give him the best chance to succeed.
9. New England Patriots (via DEN) – WR Jaylen Waddle – The Patriots select a new young leader for their wide receiver room who can play multiple roles and be an immediate reliable option for Cam Newton. They may take a quarterback on day 2 to develop. New England will have tons of speed on the outside to partner with a new dynamic pair of tight ends.
10. Atlanta Falcons (via DAL) – CB Patrick Surtain II – The Falcons sure up the other side of their young secondary with Surtain. He and A.J. Terrell can grow in this defense together.
11. New York Giants – OG Alijah Vera-Tucker – The best interior offensive lineman in the draft will become an instant starter for the Giants and give Daniel Jones more time to find his new star wide receiver, Kenny Golladay.
12. Las Vegas Raiders (via PHI) – QB Mac Jones – Head Coach John Gruden finally finds Derek Carr’s replacement. Jones is a very intelligent player who could quickly absorb Gruden’s offense.
13. Los Angeles Chargers – OT Christian Darrisaw – The best remaining tackle in the draft to give Justin Herbert some much-needed protection.
14. Minnesota Vikings – EDGE Kwity Paye – This pick just makes too much sense. Paye will be a reliable starter for years to come.
15. Denver Broncos (via NE) – LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah – The new commander of the Denver defense. He can free up the pass rushers with the amount of space he can cover.
16. Arizona Cardinals – CB Jaycee Horn – Arizona finds their Patrick Peterson replacement in another handsy and aggressive corner.
17. Philadelphia Eagles (via LV) – WR Terrace Marshall Jr. – After a second trade down, the Eagles select the remaining wide receiver with the highest ceiling. Howie Roseman rights the wrongs of passing on D.K. Metcalf and Justin Jefferson.
18. Tennessee Titans (via MIA) – WR DeVonta Smith – The Heisman winner’s fall ends here with a trade-up from Tennessee. He will step into the role vacated by Corey Davis.
19. Washington Football Team – OT Tevin Jenkins – WFT finally finds a replacement for Trent Williams. Coach Rivera understands the value of a good offensive line.
20. Chicago Bears – OT Samuel Cosmi – Needs some development, but is still an immediate upgrade over the 2020 Chicago Bears.
21. Indianapolis Colts – CB Caleb Farley – The slide for injured cornerback Caleb Farley ends with Indianapolis. The Colts have a great defense, but are weak at corner. If Farley develops and stays healthy, he could be a star.
22. Miami Dolphins (via TEN) – RB Najee Harris – The Miami offense adds another weapon from the SEC. Harris reunites with Tua and can take a lot of pressure off his former teammate.
23. New York Jets – RB Travis Etienne – One of the most electric players in the draft heads to New York and gives Zach Wilson a dynamic weapon out of the backfield.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers – EDGE Azeez Ojulari – Assumes the role vacated by Bud Dupree. He’s a versatile player who can partner well with T.J. Watt.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars – EDGE Jaelan Philips – The Jacksonville defense gets a boost to their pass rush, which has been depleted over the past few seasons.
26. Cleveland Browns – EDGE Jayson Oweh – Becomes the compliment to Myles Garrett. He is a raw talent, but could become a very dangerous player by year two or three.
27. Baltimore Ravens – WR Rashod Bateman – Quickly becomes a starting X receiver in the Baltimore offense. He’s a well-rounded player who will fill a valuable role with Brown and Andrews.
28. New Orleans Saints – CB Tyson Campbell – Can be an instant starter opposite Lattimore. With a transition at quarterback, the Saints may need to rely on their defense more heavily this season.
29. Green Bay Packers – DT Christian Barmore – The solution to the Packers’ vulnerable rushing defense and can generate interior pass rush as well.
30. Buffalo Bills – RB Javonte Williams – The best tackle-breaking running back in the NFL Draft lands in Buffalo and becomes an immediate starter. He can take pressure off Josh Allen and handle a heavy workload in the snow.
31. Kansas City Chiefs – OT Liam Eichenberg – One of the best offensive line developers in Andy Reid gets an instant starter to replace Eric Fisher.
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – WR Kadarius Toney – The fit is too good to pass up. Toney adds another big play element to the Buccaneers in the passing game and on returns. He also provides some insurance if a long-term deal with Chris Godwin can’t be reached.

We will be releasing mock drafts each week leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft to explore the top options and latest news surrounding the teams and prospects.